11,000 Acres in Western Virginia Conserved in One Evening

VA - The city of Roanoke donated the largest-ever conservation easement in Virginia, 6,185 acres of Carvins Cove, to the Western Virginia Land Trust and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. American Electric Power (AEP) donated an easement on 5,000 acres on Smith Mountain to Virginia Outdoors Foundation and Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

The theme was "Can you top this?" Monday night in Roanoke as two major conservation easements were donated to state agencies and the Western Virginia Land Trust within minutes of each other.

The city of Roanoke donated the largest-ever conservation easement in Virginia, 6,185 acres of Carvins Cove, to the Western Virginia Land Trust and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. American Electric Power (AEP) donated an easement on 5,000 acres on Smith Mountain to Virginia Outdoors Foundation and Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Dedication and Perseverance to Protect Carvins Cove

"In one day, more land was conserved in our service area than all of last year, and we haven't even gotten started recording all of this year's easements that are underway with private landowners," said Holnback, Western Virginia Land Trust’s executive director. "The City of Roanoke has shown true vision and foresight.

We're pleased to hold the largest easement ever recorded in the Commonwealth, and look forward to preserving the remainder of the Cove in the near future." The conservation easement on Carvins Cove is the culmination of more than a decade of work by the Western Virginia Land Trust to protect a major source of drinking water for the Roanoke Valley, as well as miles of Appalachian Trail viewshed and a favorite recreational destination for area hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.